Lon Safko is the co-author of Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools & Strategies for Business Success. He’s also an innovator and professional speaker with more than twenty years of experience in entrepreneurship, marketing, sales, strategic partnering, speaking, training, writing, and e-commerce. He is the founder of eight successful companies, holds 18 patents and the Smithsonian holds 30,000 pages of his writing.
He shared an hour of his time Wednesday, August 5 on my BlogTalk Radio show. You can listen to our conversation at this link.
Let’s jump in. What’s a serious, serial, startup expert doing in this frilly, silly, world of social media? Twittering, Second Life, blogging....all that’s for kids, or folks in their jammies sitting at their computers, right?
About 2.5 yrs ago, I heard about Social Media and believed it was a disruptive technology that would change the way we do business. I was so excited to find a new marketing tool that was not only free, but effective. As I became such a strong advocate for SM, the book was born. It is all about spreading the word of a successful modality. The book fast became a best seller. The goal is to help as many people as possible and he has certainly achieved his aspirations for this book. Social Media is fun and effective. An easy win- win situation.
Erika Andersen in her book, Being Strategic, coined a phrase I use all the time. It’s reasonable aspiration or hoped-for goal. What was your reasonable aspiration or hoped-for goal in writing The Social Media Bible?
It is all about spreading the word of a successful modality. The book fast became a best seller. The goal is to help as many people as possible and he has certainly achieved his aspirations for this book.Social Media is fun and effective. An easy win-win situation.
On your blog, you list the 10 Commandments of Social Media? What are they?
1. Blogging-it is about a presence and becoming a thought leader. When your customers are searching for your subject matter and your competition shows up, but you don’t, you are not in the game.
2. Creating profiles – make sure it is everywhere. If you don’t create your profile now, it is gone forever.
3. Upload photographs – people love photos and are searching for pictures.
4. Videos offer the same benefit. People search for images and benefits when looking for new business associates, assistance and vendors.
5. Podcasting – The content will still be relevant years from now. People want to listen and learn.
6. Set alert – cyber alerts. Anytime your company name or product is mentioned you will receive an alert. You can learn more about what people are saying about your company. Good or bad, you have the opportunity to speak up. Use Google alerts and also set up alerts on Twitter – you need to know the information.
7. Comment – follow your Google alerts; see who is speaking about you and comment on these posts or Tweets. Participate! If it is even about your subject matter, add something of value.
8. Get connected – LinkedIn, Facebook, Social Networks, or Twitter. How? Put your URLs on your business cards, websites, blogs, and email signature.
9. Giving 30 mins per week – explore different terms of interest (from the book). You will become more comfortable the terminology and learn more about SM.
10. Be creative – creativity breeds readership. Be authentic! Be sincere.
Why do so many companies remain reluctant to blog, especially with their executive officers?
The blog is spoken in a voice only a CEO can speak-by having the CEO communicate directly, it offers the readers an inside look, a voice, to the company. They are afraid of SM because they are fearful of losing control. The CEOs need to participate in SM because the competition is already doing it and the customers/prospects are not only expecting it, but demanding it as well. They must learn to embrace it.
What's the best resource for sharing photos online?
It depends on whether you're sharing the photos for personal or business use. Their demographics and who your friends are. Flickr is the largest and most used.
Of the Ten Commandments, which are the three most important ones that anyone can do right now?
1. Blogging
2. Tweeting
3. Social Networking
These three are the most vital, the Trinity of Social Media.
Social Networks is such a broad term. Let's define that term.
Social is two way communication – the biggest change in advertising! Network- your club, your church, your family. They can be any place where like minded people gather and share thoughts. Examples: Ning, Facebook, LinkedIN, YouTube and Flicker. Participate in those – this is where the business is.
It is important to use these tools to create a level of trust with your customers and prospects. Best Buy, Ford and Dell are great examples of companies who have reached out and met this growing need. Caring about the relationship, the brand and expectations enhances customer loyalty. Everyone makes mistakes, but how you fix the errors clearly displays your integrity.
What is the most important step for his larger clients as they begin to consider a SM campaign?
The most important thing is strategy!! You must maintain and engage your audience, know your demographic, what are you trying to achieve and how are you going to measure your efforts? With all marketing, you must measure the ROI! You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Once you see the ROI, you will have a new enthusiasm to continue with social media.
I'm so happy to hear you talk about ROI with social media. Some folks say social media results cannot be measured.
Most, if not all SM is a free marketing tool. But, with traditional marketing efforts, there is a large initial investment and it is sometimes difficult to measure the return on investment. BUT it is about brand recognition! 80-90% of ROI is about participating and brand engagement. Gary Vaynerchuk compared conventional and Social Media marketing. His direct mail effort cost $15,000 and brought in 200 customers. He bought a billboard for $7500 and picked up 300 customers. He also sent out a FREE tweet and picked up 1800 new customers. That is an amazing ROI.
What is the catalyst that drives his clients to his door?
It is a call for help on where to begin and what Social Media is about. Social Media is part of our culture and can not be overlooked. Corporations know that they must embrace this new medium so they do not lose their competitive advantage. They call me because I wrote the book!
From your travels and talks, how would you describe the common sentiment among large corporate brands for social media. Is it yes, we gotta get it? No, it’s too scary? Why do we need to do this, we have an ad agency?
There have been considerable changes: people realize that Social Media is now integrated in our society and it is not going to go away. The question now is HOW do we get in the game? Attitudes are changing.
We are reaching a new level of awareness with Social Media with the larger brands and companies – the tipping point for the future. This technology may not come easy to certain older generations, but these are the people, the CEOs who need it most, yet are the least amiable to these changes. These companies are now learning the necessity of Social Media; how and what it can do for them to change their business environment.
Is there a difference in attitudes toward social media between larger corporations and small businesses?
Small businesses are entrepreneurs, early adopters with little money for public relations and marketing. Social Media is the best FREE available tool to produce such success and results. These companies get it!
What are some steps or resources for small business to jump into social media?
1. Get in the game: profiles, photos, videos, blog, add content. You need a cyber presence. The customers and prospects are out there doing the research, learning, getting the feel for the next company they are going to hire. Companies have to be there.
2. Have a measurable strategy of how to reach a specific demographic.
3. Don't quit. Do it regularly. Do it consistently.
You share a lot of great quotes on your website, which again is www.lonsafko.com. Can you leave us today with one?
“As a salesperson, no doesn’t mean no until there is a restraining order.” That means don’t quit - stay with it. Social Media is a long term strategy.
Thanks, Lon.
You can follow Lon on Twitter at LonSafko
Note: I'm listening again to the show. Lon shares some great anecdotes, case studies, profiles of companies and their use of social media.
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